The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-07-29

VISIT TO THE ACTIVE VOLCANO IN
SONORA.

VISIT TO THE ACTIVE VOLCANO IN
SONORA.
The New York Ueralps correspond
ent at El Paso telegraphs that he has
recently returned from the scene of
the only active volcano in North
America. The trip was one of extra
ordinary hardship, accomplished in the
face of obstacles of which the entire
absence of any road, an arid desert of
over 100 miles across and the blazing
sun OF a tropic zone were conspicuous
features. The volcano lies twelve miles
from Bavispe in the State of Sonora in
the extreme Northwestern corner of
the Mexican republic.
A rough estimate will place the dis
tance from El Paso at 400 miles. The
rugged and desolate nature of the
country; the infrequency of its springs
and the almost deadly heat that exists
there nine months out OF the twelve
has effeotually kept out the American
prospector, although the mountains are
full of gold and even the hardy Mexi-
can has largely left it to its primal soli-
tude. Here and there are scattering
villages, of which Bavispe is a type.
The town lies southwest of Casas
Grandes and is heterogeneous collec-
tion of adobe shanties and "jackals,"
half under and half above the ground
and rooted with brush. II contains
about $500 people. They are so mis-
erably poor and live in condition of
such indescribable squalor and perpet-
ual misery, that their lot compares un-
favorably with the wandering coyote,
their nearest neighbor.
After journey of eight days the
explorers reached the vicinity of Ba-
vispe, but little prior to this they had
the first intimation of cosmic disturb.
ance in the shape of fluttering tremor
of the earth. These shocks, which
were slight and undulating, increased
in frequency as they drew near the
town, until scarcely an hour elapsed
without repetition of them. ave
came in sight of Bavispe at about 10
o'clock in the morning." says the cor.
respondent, "and the first thing that
met our sight was huddled encamp-
ment OF several hundred people on the
broad mesa that fanks the town. Ba-
vispe itself may be spoken of 10 the
past tense-lt no longer exists. On
the lst of May, just at the gray of
dawn, the villagers were awakened by
sickening shudder of the earth, fol-
lomed by quick tremor that reduced
half of the abodes of the place to ruins.
Creeping out from the wreck Of their
dwellings they sought safety on the
level ground, where sort of encamp-
ment was formed, and thence in time
the entire village has migrated Since
that morning of desolation and terror
there has been no day unaccompanied
ty an earthquake. Sometimes it has
been 80 violent as to loosen masses of
rock and open large assures in the
mountain side, and sometimes it is an
almost imperceptible vibration, but
never has it entirely ceased, and the
superstitious Mexicans have given
themselves up TO the apathy of despair.
sour appearance, which in other
times would have convulsed the village
with excitement, scarcely attracted at
tention. A few halfnaked men and
haggard women struggled out of their
tents of brush to meet us, but many
merely glanced from their open door
ways and made no sign. Many have
gone toward the south, but the bulk of
the people are too poor to undertake a
journey, which, without resources,
means death, and so have camped with
in sight of the wreck of their homes in
mute and pathetic helplessness. The
mortality which attended this disaster
must have been great, but it was al
most impossible to draw any of them
into conversation and quite so to OBJ
tain any accurate information. Over
twenty sunken places on the Mesa
marked recent graves and as many
more dead are probably lying in the
ruins.
"From Bavlspe we had our first sight
of our objective point-the volcano. A
pennant of smoke trailed by the wind
from low, square-topped peak to the
southwest, defined its location, while
dull and muttering roar, almost inces.
SAINT, told that the forces of nature were
at work. The volcano lies about twelve
miles from the site of the the town, but
over such an extraordinarily broken
tract of country that we realized at
once that it would require two days
journey to reach it, and pushed straight
ahead, without delay. The phenomena
which we had observed at Bavispe in
creased in volume as we approached
the mountain. We followed the dry
bed OF stream which at some forgot
ten period had worn causeway
through the granite. II was broken
by fissures of recent origin, running
from north to south and in some cases
four or five feet broad and of unknown
depth. Springing from one of these,
about four miles out, we encountered a
geyser rivalling any of those In the
National Park. 1t is in the centre OF
circular basin, with sides of sand and
mud, and about forty feet in diameter.
At intervals oe fifteen minutes an i'm
mense stream of boiling water leaps
up to height of sixty feet. The Mexi-
cans say three other geysers exist in
the sounthw' st, but we were unable TO
investigate the statement When cur
party came within four or five miles of
the volcano we realized that it would
be impracticable to approach it in a
direct line. A river Of lava, pouring
down the mountain side some weeks
ago, and not yet cool, barred the way.
So we turned to the south and began
the ascent of an adjacent peak to OBJ
tain view from its su perior elevation.
"a spectacle of tremendous convul-
sion met our view. Below us, at dis
tance of three fourths of a mile, was
the red-lipped mouth of living volca-
no. Heretofore no one has approached
within one-fourth of that distance.
The crater forms rude oval depress-
ed at the northern side and rising in a |
series OF ragged peaks at the South. |
A strong wind blowing Northward
favored our view, for it swept away
the smoke and ataom of tho aru rt;o !,